Cecil Beaton Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Sir Cecil Beaton (London, 14 January 1904 – Broadchalke, 18 January 1980) was a British photographer and costume designer. After high school he studied history and architecture in Cambridge and from 1926 he dedicated himself to photography and designing costumes and sets for television and then for cinema. Read the full biography

Sir Cecil Beaton (London, 14 January 1904 – Broadchalke, 18 January 1980) was a British photographer and costume designer. After high school he studied history and architecture in Cambridge and from 1926 he dedicated himself to photography and designing costumes and sets for television and then for cinema. He wins two Oscars for Gigi and My Fair Lady. In particular, the black and white dress designed by Beaton and worn by Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady will become a fashion icon. In 1927 Beaton was hired by Vogue magazine as a designer but was also appreciated for his photography. Beaton, in his photography, creates unusual combinations that allow him to combine a scenographic world with everyday life and even if they seem artificial they are endowed with acute intuitions. the main characteristic of his photographs is an irony that allows him to filter what he sees and rework it. His portraits can be considered his best works in which he sets and characterizes the subjects through harmonious metaphors that allow the characters of culture and entertainment to be depicted together with the gestures, expressions and objects that characterize them. Beaton photographed for example Queen Elizabeth II, Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII, icons such as Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, or personalities such as the painter Bridget Bate Tichenor, the writer HG Wells, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton. Beaton did not limit himself only to fashion and entertainment but was also a war photographer. From 1939 to 1945 he was the official photographer of the British Ministry of Information.